Nanoparticle lithography based on colloidal self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles has been thwarted by numerous challenges that have precluded its use as a realistic form of alternative lithography. Some of these challenges include: the tendency to form aggregates due to the strong interactions between particles; the difficulty in forming self-terminating, fully packed single monolayers; the lack of control during self-assembly which is usually limited by entropic crystallization during a fast drying step; the difficulty in removing the ligands without affecting the pattern quality; and the lack of a method to transfer the self-assembled pattern to some other materials for various applications.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved structures comprising uniform monolayers of self-assembling nanoparticles, and methods of making and using the same.